Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel has evolved from a reality television personality to a successful entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist, leveraging her platform to build a lifestyle brand and advocate for worker’s rights. After appearing as the first runner-up on the NBC reality competition series ‘The Apprentice: Martha Stewart’ in 2005, Bethenny Frankel quickly expanded her entrepreneurial ventures. Prior to this, she founded BethennyBakes in 2003, a specialized baking business offering egg-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free products. Following the closure of BethennyBakes in 2006, Frankel served as a spokesperson for Pepperidge Farms’ low-calorie bread line.

In 2008, her public profile significantly increased when she joined the cast of Bravo’s ‘The Real Housewives of New York City.’ Frankel’s spin-off series, ‘Bethenny Getting Married?’ (later ‘Bethenny Ever After’), premiered in June 2010 and achieved Bravo’s highest-rated series premiere at the time, documenting her personal life. She departed ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ after its third season in September 2010 and subsequently competed on ‘Skating with the Stars’ in November, securing second place. Leveraging her growing platform, Frankel launched the Skinnygirl brand, beginning with Skinnygirl Margarita in 2009. This successful venture led to the sale of Skinnygirl Cocktails to Beam Global for an estimated $120 million in 2011.

In 2023, she significantly increased her advocacy for improved protections and unionization for reality television personalities, leveraging her platform to champion worker’s rights within the industry.